AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST by A. C. Anderson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Feb 28, 1906

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST.

By A. C. Anderson

An ambassador is one with full power to do business for another, one who is sent to a foreign country to transact business with a foreign government for the government which sends him. To this end he must first be qualified, and a knowledge of the law and loyalty thereto are a basis of qualification. He must have his credentials, and they must be signed by the king or governor of the territory or government which he represents, that will give him credit; and the people will have confidence in him and in whatever business he may have to transact.

An ambassador for Christ is sent on the same conditions, but he has much greater responsibilities and a higher mission; for he is an ambassador for a much greater government, one having a holier law, a law that is unchangeable, like the Maker Himself, who said, "I am the Lord, I change not." He is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever." God's law is the foundation of all righteousness, and the condemnation of all unrighteousness, expressing in its wonderful comprehensiveness the duty of all men. Eccl. 12:13, 14.

Above all things an ambassador for Christ must himself be converted and be reconciled to God. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Cor. 2:14. "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh can not please God." Rom. 8:7, 8. Therefore an ambassador for Christ must be a converted man, with the law of God written in his heart. A theoretical knowledge of the law as written with ink, or on tables of stone, is not sufficient; it must be written by the Spirit of the living God in the fleshy tables of the heart. 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 8:10. He must also have a thorough knowledge of God's government as revealed in His Word.

The Holy Scriptures are the credentials of an ambassador of Christ. These are signed by God the Father and sealed by the blood of His Son. He who faithfully proclaims this will have his seal of ambassadorship in the fruits of his labors. Thus he has all heaven back of him as long as he is loyal and true to his office. Christ has committed unto His ambassadors "the Word of reconciliation." 2 Tim. 2:15, 25; 3:15-17; 4:1-6; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20. It is the duty of every one of Christ's ambassadors to beseech the transgressors, "in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God;" also to tell all who have revolted against the government of God and His law, that their only hope from the destruction of sin lies in yielding to Christ Jesus.

All who will turn, and in Christ keep His law, which is the foundation of His kingdom, shall have a "right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14. The principles of the kingdom must be implanted in men's hearts now, while in this world, for this is the preparatory age for that beyond the grave. The kingdom of God is one of purity and righteousness and truth, and the people who desire to become His subjects must by His grace become pure and righteous and true. They must turn from sin and build characters for His kingdom.

The Jews, at the time of the first advent of Christ, were very zealous for the law of God, but they rejected the Lawgiver.

The majority of professed Christians in this generation are very zealous for Christ, but turn from the law of His kingdom. Yet the law of God must reign supreme in men's hearts while here in this world; it must have dominion over the passions of the carnal heart, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, or they can have no place in His eternal kingdom. The place where Christ preeminently rules and reigns will always be in perfect harmony with the law of God.

At all times and in all countries an ambassador is a person who is very highly regarded. No greater insult could be given to a nation than to put its ambassador to death or to cast him into prison.

Ministers of the Gospel are ambassadors for Christ, and are sent to do what He would do were He personally present. They are not to negotiate any new terms of salvation, nor to change those which God has proposed; neither must they follow their own plans or devices. They are simply to urge and explain God's appeal to men to become reconciled to Himself. They are not to seek to promote their own welfare, but to transact the business which the Son of Man would engage in were He again personally on this earth.

God's ambassador speaks in the name of Christ, and on His authority, and should be received with the respect due to His position. It is an awful thing to reject the message of mercy which God in love is sending to a dying world.

We pray you in Christ's stead, "Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come." Rev. 14:6-10. This is the burden of the message which every true ambassador of the Gospel bears to his fellow men. This implies that man has something important to do in the Gospel work. Therefore he must become obedient to the will of God, give up His own opinions, submitting himself to the terms of mercy. All the change is to be in the sinner's heart, from which spring the motives of his action. God can not change; and His law, like Himself, is also unchangeable. God has done all that He can do, and now it remains for man to abandon his sins, embrace the terms of mercy, and become wholly in harmony with the divine law.

There are many professed ambassadors in the world at the present time who do not regard the law of God, which is the rule of the kingdom they profess to represent. Eccl.

12:13; Isa. 8:20. These false ambassadors claim there has been a change in the law of God, altho the King of Kings has declared it unchangeable. But in the judgment His law will condemn all such ambassadors. James 1:22-25; 2:10-12; Matt. 5:17.

The ambassadors who do not regard the law of God are false, and we find them crying, "Peace, peace," when there is no peace, lulling the people to sleep in the cradle of procrastination, when sudden destruction is right upon them. These are "the ambassadors of peace [which] shall weep bitterly" when the gates of mercy are forever closed, and the wrath of God is visited upon them. "A wicked messenger falleth into mischief; but a faithful ambassador is health." Isa. 33:7; Prov. 13:17. A. C. ANDERSON.